阅读说明：本技术 无人的可移动物体 (Unmanned movable object ) 是由 谢捷斌 任伟 占志鹏 于 2016-08-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的实施例公开了一种无人的可移动物体,包括主体和由所述主体承载的朝向传感器和扫描元件。运动机构耦接在机身和扫描元件之间,所述运动机构包括倾斜装置,所述倾斜装置可操作以响应于倾斜角度输入而使所述扫描元件围绕与所述自转轴横切的附加轴旋转。控制器,被配置为从所述朝向传感器接收朝向信号,并且至少部分地基于所述朝向信号来确定倾斜角度输入的倾斜值。其中,所述扫描元件包括扫描器。(Embodiments of the present invention disclose an unmanned movable object comprising a body and an orientation sensor and a scanning element carried by the body. A motion mechanism is coupled between the body and the scanning element, the motion mechanism including a tilting device operable to rotate the scanning element about an additional axis transverse to the rotational axis in response to a tilt angle input. A controller configured to receive an orientation signal from the orientation sensor and determine a tilt value for a tilt angle input based at least in part on the orientation signal. Wherein the scanning element comprises a scanner.)

1. An unmanned movable object comprising:

a main body;

an orientation sensor carried by the body;

a scanning element carried by the body;

a motion mechanism coupled between the body and the scanning element, the motion mechanism including a tilting device operable to rotate the scanning element about an additional axis transverse to the rotational axis in response to a tilt angle input; and

a controller configured to receive an orientation signal from the orientation sensor and determine a tilt value for a tilt angle input based at least in part on the orientation signal;

wherein the scanning element comprises a scanner.

2. The object of claim 1, wherein the motion mechanism further comprises an intermediate platform, the tilting device being configured to rotate the intermediate platform, and wherein the tilting device is carried by the intermediate platform.

3. The object of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to tilt the scanning element towards a direction of travel of the object.

4. The object of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to compensate for an angle of inclination of the body when the body is not level.

5. The object of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to compensate for a tilt angle of the body by directing the scanning element to become level.

6. The object of claim 1, wherein the scanning element further comprises a scanning platform carrying the scanner.

7. The object of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to steer the object in response to terrain or obstacles detected by the scanner.

8. The object of claim 1, wherein the scanner comprises a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system.

9. The object of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate in a measurement mode by performing a method comprising:

directing the object to be horizontal;

rotating the scanning element to perform a first scan at a first tilt angle; and

the scanning element is rotated to perform a second scan at a second tilt angle.

10. The object of claim 1, wherein the scanner comprises a light emitting module and a light sensing module.

11. The object of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thrusters carried by the body and arranged to steer the object in response to input from the controller, wherein the controller is configured to:

tilting the scanning element towards a direction of travel of the object; and

manipulating the object in response to terrain or obstacles detected by a sensor carried by the scanning element.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to unmanned mobile devices, and more particularly to unmanned aerial vehicles having an optoelectronic scanning module and related components, systems, and methods.

Background

With the ever-increasing performance and decreasing cost, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have found widespread use in many areas. Representative tasks include crop monitoring, real estate photography, inspection of buildings and other structures, fire and security tasks, border patrols, and product delivery, among others. To improve flight safety and improve user experience (e.g., by making flight control easier), it is important that UAVs be able to independently detect obstacles and/or automatically make evasive maneuvers. Laser radar (LIDAR) is a reliable and robust detection technique since it can operate in almost all weather conditions. However, conventional LIDAR devices are typically expensive and heavy, making most conventional LIDAR apparatus unsuitable for small and medium UAV applications. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved techniques and systems for implementing LIDAR scanning functions in UAVs and other objects.

Disclosure of Invention

The following summary is provided for the convenience of the reader and indicates some representative embodiments of the disclosed technology. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) apparatus according to a representative embodiment includes: a main body; an orientation sensor carried by the body; a scanning element carried by the body; a controller; and a motion mechanism coupled between the body and the scanning element. The movement mechanism comprises a rotation device and a tilting device. The rotation device is operable to rotate the scanning element relative to the main body about a rotation axis. The tilting device is operable to rotate the scanning element about an additional axis transverse to the rotation axis in response to a tilt angle input; the controller may be configured to receive an orientation signal from the orientation sensor and determine a tilt value for a tilt angle input based at least in part on the orientation signal. In some examples, the rotation axis is perpendicular to the additional axis. The orientation sensor may be one or more of a rotary encoder or a hall effect sensor.

In some embodiments, the movement mechanism comprises an intermediate platform, the rotation device being configured to rotate the intermediate platform. Some embodiments provide that the tilting means may be carried by the intermediate platform. In some implementations, the rotation device may be configured to rotate the scanning element via the intermediate stage. In one or more arrangements, the rotation means may carry the tilting means.

In one or more embodiments, the controller is configured to tilt the scanning element towards a direction of travel of the object. According to some embodiments, the controller is configured to compensate for a tilt angle of the body when the body is not level. In some examples, the controller is configured to compensate for a tilt angle of the body by directing the scanning element to become level. One or more embodiments provide that the controller is configured to: adjusting a tilt angle of the scanning element by guiding the scanning element to become horizontal at least once per revolution when the scanning element spins.

The scanning element may be configured to continuously spin at a substantially constant rate. For example, the scanning element may be configured to spin at approximately 10 to 20 revolutions per second. According to some embodiments, the tilting means comprises a servo motor arranged to tilt the scanning element. The scanning element may be weight balanced with respect to the rotational axis.

The scanning element may comprise a scanner. In many embodiments, the scanning element further comprises a scanning platform carrying the scanner. In many implementations, the scanner is configured to perform ground measurements, obstacle detection, or a combination thereof. Certain embodiments of the present technology further comprise a controller configured to manipulate the object in response to terrain or obstacles detected by the scanner. The scanner of some embodiments may include a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, which in some examples may include a semiconductor laser diode configured to emit light at a pulse rate of approximately 1000Hz or 3600 Hz. According to many embodiments, the LIDAR system includes a single line laser emitter. In various examples, the scanner includes a light emitting module and a light sensing module. The light emitting module may include an Infrared (IR) Light Emitting Diode (LED). The light sensing module may include a photodiode.

According to some implementations, the controller may be configured to operate in a measurement mode by performing a method comprising: directing the object to be horizontal; rotating the scanning element to perform a first scan at a first tilt angle; and rotating the scanning element to perform a second scan at a second tilt angle.

In various embodiments, a plurality of thrusters may be carried by the body and arranged to manipulate the object in response to input from the controller. In various embodiments, the controller may be configured to tilt the scanning element towards a direction of travel of the object; and manipulating the object in response to terrain or obstacles detected by a sensor carried by the scanning element. For example, the propeller may include an airfoil, and in some cases, the propeller may include four propellers.

Embodiments of the present technology may also include a radio frequency module coupled to the controller to receive manipulation commands from a remote control device.

Other embodiments include a method of the system of any and all combinations of the various devices described above, and a computer readable medium embodying computer instructions to implement such a method. Another embodiment includes fabricating any and all combinations of the plurality of devices described above.

Drawings

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a representative system having a movable object with elements configured in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique.

FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of the movable object of FIG. 1A carrying a representative opto-electronic scanning module in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a LIDAR (LIDAR) light module having multiple laser beam emitters for scanning vertically to cover potential obstructions at different heights.

Fig. 3A-3B illustrate exemplary defects observed in embodiments where a single-axis laser is implemented using a single-axis rotation mechanism in operation.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a method of performing both horizontal and vertical scanning using a dual axis motion mechanism, in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment implementing a dual axis motion mechanism operating in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

6A-6C illustrate an apparatus in accordance with several embodiments of the present technique.

Fig. 7 illustrates additional functionality that embodiments of the present technology may be configured to perform.

Detailed Description

It is important that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) be able to independently detect obstacles and/or automatically perform evasive maneuvers. Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) is a reliable and robust detection technique since LIDAR can operate in almost all weather conditions. However, conventional LIDAR devices are typically expensive and heavy, making most conventional LIDAR apparatus unsuitable for many UAV applications.

Accordingly, the present technology relates to techniques for implementing a motion mechanism for carrying and operating an electro-optical scanning module (e.g., a LIDAR module). The present techniques enable three-dimensional scanning using single line laser LIDAR modules, thereby reducing the cost of implementing LIDAR on smaller or cheaper UAVs, while still having multiple advantages (e.g., high accuracy and all-weather operation) that are the same or similar to those associated with more expensive multiline LIDAR variants. Example embodiments of the various techniques described herein include a motion mechanism that may be coupled between a body of an unmanned movable object and an optoelectronic scanning module. The movement mechanism may include, for example, a rotation device and a tilting device. The rotation device is operable to rotate the scanning module relative to the main body about a rotation axis. The tilting device is operable to rotate the scanning module about an additional axis transverse to the rotational axis, e.g., in response to a tilt angle input. Other example embodiments include an orientation sensor mounted on the body of the unmanned movable object. Some embodiments also provide a controller configured to receive the orientation signal from the orientation sensor and determine a tilt value for a tilt angle input of a tilt device in the motion mechanism based at least in part on the orientation signal.

In the following description, for purposes of illustration only, various techniques are explained using the example of a UAV, which may be implemented using a motion mechanism for carrying a simpler LIDAR scanning module (e.g., a single line LIDAR) to reduce or eliminate the need for conventional LIDAR implementations (e.g., a multi-line LIDAR). In other embodiments, the techniques described herein are applicable to other suitable scan modules, carriers, or both. For example, although one or more of the figures described in connection with these techniques show a UAV, in other embodiments, these techniques may be applied in a similar manner to other types of movable objects, including but not limited to unmanned land or water vehicles, hand-held devices, or robots. In another example, although the techniques are particularly applicable to laser beams generated by laser diodes in LIDAR systems, in other embodiments they may be applied to other types of light sources (e.g., other types of lasers or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)).

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presently disclosed technology. In other embodiments, the techniques described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features, such as specific manufacturing techniques, are not described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present technology. Reference in the specification to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or the like means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Thus, appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. On the other hand, such references are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Furthermore, it should be understood that the various embodiments shown in the figures are merely illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

For clarity, several details are not set forth in the following description, which are used to describe structures or processes that are well known and often associated with UAVs and corresponding systems and subsystems, but which may unnecessarily obscure some important aspects of the disclosed technology. Furthermore, while the following disclosure sets forth several embodiments of different aspects of the disclosure, some other embodiments may have different configurations or different components than those described in this section. Thus, the described techniques may have other embodiments with additional elements or without several elements described below.

Many embodiments of the present disclosure described below may take the form of computer-or controller-executable instructions, including routines executed by a programmable computer or controller. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the described techniques may be implemented on computer or controller systems other than those shown and described below. The techniques described herein may be embodied in a special purpose computer or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions described below. Thus, the terms "computer" and "controller" are used generically herein to refer to any data processor, and may include internet devices and handheld devices (including palm-top computers, wearable computers, cellular or mobile phones, multi-processor systems, processor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network computers, mini-computers, and the like). The information processed by these computers and controllers may be presented on any suitable display medium, including a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Instructions for performing computer or controller-executable tasks may be stored on or in any suitable computer-readable medium including hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and firmware. The instructions may be contained in any suitable storage device, including, for example, a flash drive, a USB device, and/or other suitable medium.

The terms "coupled" and "connected," along with their derivatives, may be used herein to describe structural relationships between components. It should be understood that: these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, "connected" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct contact with each other. Unless otherwise indicated in context, the term "coupled" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in contact with each other, either directly or indirectly (with other intervening elements therebetween), or that two or more elements cooperate or interact with each other (e.g., with a causal relationship), or both.

1. Overview

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a representative system 100 having multiple elements in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present technique. The system 100 includes a movable object 110 and a control system 140. Although movable object 110 is described as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), such description is not intended to be limiting, as any suitable type of movable object may be used in other embodiments, as described herein.

The movable object 110 may include a body 111 (e.g., a fuselage) capable of carrying a load 120, such as an imaging device or an optoelectronic scanning device (e.g., a LIDAR device). In particular embodiments, load 120 may be a camera, such as a video camera and/or a still camera. The camera may be sensitive to any of a variety of suitable wavelengths, including visible, ultraviolet, infrared, and/or other wavelengths. In other embodiments, the load 120 may include other types of sensors and/or other types of goods (e.g., packages or other dispensable items). In many of these embodiments, the load 120 is supported relative to the body 111 by a load bearing mechanism 125. In some embodiments, the load bearing mechanism 125 may allow the load 120 to be independently arranged with respect to the body 111. For example, the load bearing mechanism 125 may allow the load 120 to rotate about one, two, three, or more axes. In other embodiments, the load bearing mechanism 125 may allow the load 120 to move linearly along one, two, three, or more axes. According to particular embodiments, the axes for rotational or translational movement may or may not be orthogonal to each other. Thus, when load 120 includes an imaging device, the imaging device may be moved relative to body 111, for example, to photograph, record, or track a target.

In some embodiments, load 120 may be rigidly coupled to moveable object 110 or connected with moveable object 110 such that load 120 remains generally stationary with respect to moveable object 110. For example, load bearing mechanism 125, which couples moveable object 110 and load 120, may not allow load 120 to move relative to moveable object 110. In other embodiments, load 120 may be coupled directly to movable object 110 without carrying mechanism 125. In some examples, the bearing mechanism may include a mechanical mechanism that allows adjustment on one or more axes, such as a pan head or a ball head. The pan head, also known as a pan-tilt head, may allow independent rotation of the load about two or three perpendicular axes. The spherical head may comprise a ball and socket type joint for orientation control; for example, the ball may be located in a socket that can be tightened to lock the ball in place. Some implementations of the load bearing mechanism may provide the ability to limit movement to a single axis. Additionally, some load bearing mechanisms may include electromechanical components to provide automated or assisted target tracking functionality.

One or more propulsion units 130 are capable of moving (e.g., takeoff, landing, hovering, and moving in the air) movable object 110 with respect to up to three translational degrees of freedom and up to three rotational degrees of freedom. In some embodiments, propulsion unit 130 may include one or more rotors. The rotor may include one or more rotor blades coupled to a shaft. The rotor blades and shaft may be rotated by a suitable drive mechanism (e.g., an electric motor). Although propulsion units 130 of movable object 110 are described as being propeller-based and may have four rotors (as shown in fig. 1B), any suitable number, type, and/or arrangement of propulsion units may be used depending on the particular embodiment. For example, the number of rotors may be one, two, three, four, five or even more. The rotor may be oriented vertically, horizontally, or at any other suitable angle relative to movable object 110. The pitch angle of the rotor may be fixed or variable. The propulsion unit 130 may be driven by any suitable motor, such as a DC motor (e.g., brush or brushless) or an AC motor. In some embodiments, the motor may be configured to mount and drive the rotor blades.

The movable object 110 is configured to receive control commands from the control system 140. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, control system 140 includes some components carried on movable object 110 and some components located outside movable object 110. For example, the control system 140 may include: a first controller 142 carried by movable object 110 and a second controller 144 (e.g., a remote controller operated by a human) located remotely from movable object 110 and connected via a communication link 146 (e.g., a wireless link such as a Radio Frequency (RF) based link). First controller 142 may include a computer-readable medium 143 that executes instructions that direct actions of movable object 110, including, but not limited to, the operation of propulsion system 130 and load 120 (e.g., a camera). The second controller 144 may include one or more input/output devices, such as a display and control buttons. The operator manipulates the second controller 144 to remotely control the movable object 110 and receives feedback from the movable object 110 via the display and/or other interfaces of the second controller 144. In other exemplary embodiments, movable object 110 may operate autonomously, in which case second controller 144 may be eliminated, or may be used only for an operator override (override) function.

FIG. 1B schematically shows the movable object 110 of FIG. 1A carrying a representative opto-electronic scanning module (or scanning element) 150. The scan module 150 may be carried by the motion mechanism 126. The movement mechanism 126 may be the same as or similar to the load bearing mechanism 125 described above with reference to fig. 1A for the load 120. For example, as shown in fig. 1B, the movement mechanism 126 includes a rotation device 127 (e.g., a motor) and a support rod 129. The motion mechanism 126 is coupled between the main body of the movable object 110 and the scan module 150 to connect the two together. Further, in various embodiments, the motion mechanism 126 can operate (e.g., by control from the second controller 144 (fig. 1A) or autonomously by programming) to rotate the scan module 150 relative to the body about the rotational axis 102. Accordingly, the scanning module 150 may perform a horizontal scan (e.g., a 360 degree horizontal scan).

The optoelectronic scanning module 150 may include a scanning platform 152 carrying a light emitting module 154 and a light sensing module 156. The light emitting module 154 is arranged to emit light and the light sensing module 156 is arranged to detect a reflected portion of the emitted light. In many implementations, the photo-scanning module 150 is a LIDAR module and the light emitting module 154 includes a semiconductor laser diode (e.g., a P-I-N structure diode). The light sensing module 156 may include a photodetector, such as a solid state photodetector (including silicon (Si)), an Avalanche Photodiode (APD), a photomultiplier tube, or a combination of the foregoing. In some implementations, the semiconductor laser diode may emit laser light at a pulse rate of about 1000Hz or 3600 Hz.

In various embodiments, the scanning module 150 may perform a three-dimensional (3D) scanning operation covering both the horizontal and vertical directions in order to detect obstacles and/or make ground measurements. Objects that can be detected generally include any physical object or structure, including a geographical landscape (e.g., a mountain, tree, or cliff), a building, a vehicle (e.g., an airplane, ship, or automobile), or an indoor obstruction (e.g., a wall, table, or cubicle). Other objects include living objects such as humans or animals. The object may be moving or stationary.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of a laser radar (LIDAR) light module 254 having a plurality of laser beam emitters 254a-254d for scanning vertically to cover potential obstructions at different heights. As described above, 3D lidar generally scans in two planes (e.g., horizontal and vertical). In the horizontal plane, the laser beam emitted by the light emitting module 254 may be driven using a motor (e.g., the rotation device 127 shown in fig. 1B) to rotate and scan within a range of 360 degrees.

In order to cover potential obstacles at different heights in the vertical plane, one approach (as shown in fig. 2) is to use multiple laser beams, each configured to cover obstacles at different heights. This approach requires multiple laser emitters (e.g., emitters 254a-254 d) to operate simultaneously, which increases the cost, power consumption, and weight of the unit. Furthermore, in many applications (e.g., in applications where one of the primary goals of utilizing LIDAR is to avoid collisions with stationary objects during flight), the use of multiple laser transmitters in a LIDAR can be both expensive and wasteful. Typically, in these applications, a single laser transmitter is sufficient for the purposes of the particular application (e.g., for performing obstacle detection and avoidance during flight), because only obstacles in front of a single direction (e.g., flight direction) are of interest. However, there are also disadvantages to using a single line LIDAR module.

Fig. 3A-3B illustrate exemplary defects observed in embodiments where a single-axis laser is implemented using a single-axis rotation mechanism in operation. As shown in fig. 3A-3B, to detect an obstacle 360 in front of the UAV310, a single line LIDAR module having a single laser transmitter 354 (which transmits a single line laser signal 355) is mounted on the single axis rotation mechanism 326 via a scanning platform 352.

Specifically, in the example shown in fig. 3A, laser transmitter 354 emits laser signal 355 at a frequency (e.g., 1000Hz or 3600Hz) under the control of a program executed by a main control unit (e.g., controller 142 shown in fig. 1A). When the signal 355 encounters an obstacle 360, the signal 355 is reflected by the obstacle 360, and the reflected signal is detected by the light sensor 356 in the LIDAR module. Via a rotation device 327 (e.g., a motor), the single line LIDAR may perform a scan (e.g., a 360 degree scan) in a horizontal plane. The sweep frequency (e.g., expressed as revolutions per second) may be controlled by a rotating motor, either manually by a remote control (e.g., controller 144 of fig. 1A) or by a computer program stored in a storage medium (e.g., medium 143 of fig. 1A) coupled to a controller on UAV 310. As such, the master controller or another module may calculate the distance from the UAV310 to the obstacle 360 based on the time difference between the emission of the laser light 355 and the detection of the reflected laser light. Thus, the process implements one-way obstacle detection and distance estimation functions. It is noted that because the LIDAR module is connected to the UAV310 by a single axis rotation mechanism 326 (e.g., via a mount), the scanning platform 352 carrying the LIDAR module is generally parallel to the body 311 of the UAV310 such that the scanning plane of the single line LIDAR may be parallel to the body 311.

However, as shown in fig. 3B, during flight of the UAV310, the pitch or attitude 370 of the vehicle may change with the speed and acceleration of the flight in a given direction. For example, generally when UAV310 is flying at a low and constant speed, the attitude 370 of the aircraft may be substantially parallel to the ground; however, as the aircraft flies or accelerates at higher speeds, the attitude 370 of the aircraft may decrease such that the aircraft is tilted downward (e.g., about 30 degrees). If an obstacle 360 is present in the direction of motion 375 of the UAV310 during acceleration, and the scan direction of the LIDAR (as shown by the single line laser signal 355) deviates significantly from the direction of motion 375, the single line LIDAR may not be able to detect the obstacle 360.

2. Representative examples

The techniques described below implement a multi-axis (e.g., dual-axis) motion mechanism that includes at least one tilting device in addition to the above-described rotation device (e.g., rotation device 127 shown in fig. 1B) to provide an additional degree of freedom. The tilting means may be configured to adjust the scanning direction such that the single line laser may always be aimed in the direction of travel (e.g. at least once per revolution), regardless of the attitude of the aircraft body. The adjustment may be performed based on, for example, an orientation sensor (e.g., an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)) carried by a body of the aircraft. The IMU may include, for example, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a rotary encoder, a hall effect sensor, or any suitable combination thereof. In some embodiments, the single-line laser may also be indicated by a multi-axis motion mechanism to be aimed in other directions, for example, for distance estimation of some object or for 3D scanning of local terrain. Because this approach enables LIDAR obstacle detection using as few as a pair of laser firing and sensing devices, the cost and complexity of LIDAR modules on UAVs can be greatly reduced, making single-line LIDAR modules more suitable for cost-sensitive small and medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicle applications than traditional multi-line LIDAR scanners.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a method of employing a multi-motor (e.g., dual-motor) mechanism 426 on UAV410 to perform both horizontal and vertical scans, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. Fig. 5 shows an embodiment in which a single line laser is implemented using a dual motor mechanism in operation. Embodiments of the present technique are further described below with simultaneous reference to fig. 4 and 5.

Specifically, the two-motor movement mechanism 426 may include a spinning electrode 427 and a tilting motor 428 to perform both horizontal scanning and vertical scanning. The method may use a single line laser (e.g., from a single laser diode) to achieve 3D scanning. The UAV410 carries a single wire LIDAR module 450. The laser emitter 454 is included in the LIDAR module 450, which may contain a laser diode and one or more lenses for collimation or other purposes. In the same or similar manner as the single-wire LIDAR module described above, the LIDAR module 450 may be controlled by a master control unit (e.g., the controller 142 shown in fig. 1A) on the UAV410 to emit pulsed laser signals. The LIDAR module 450 also includes a light sensor 456, and the light sensor 456 may include, for example, a focusing lens, a photodiode, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The ADC may convert the detected optical signal into an electrical signal and output the electrical signal to a main control unit, which in turn may perform, for example, obstacle detection, terrain measurement, or collision avoidance. The elements of the LIDAR module 450, including, for example, the light emitter 454 and the light sensor 456, are mounted on or otherwise carried by the scanning platform 453.

As shown in fig. 4, a single line LIDAR module 450 having a single laser emitter 454 is mounted on the multi-axis motion mechanism 426 via a scanning platform 453. The movement mechanism 426 includes at least two servo motors (e.g., electric motors), such as a spinning electrode 427 and a tilt motor 428. The spinning electrodes 427 and the tilt motor 428 may be used to control the scanning operation of the LIDAR module 450 in the horizontal and vertical planes, respectively. Similar to the motion mechanism 126 described above with respect to fig. 1B, the spinning electrodes 427 are operable to rotate the scanning LIDAR module 450 about the spinning axis 402 relative to the body 411 of the UAV 410. In some embodiments, the spinning electrodes 427 may spin the LIDAR module 450 at a generally constant rate (e.g., ± 10%). In some examples, the rate is about 10 to 20 revolutions per second (r.p.s.). Depending on the implementation, the rotation may be controlled by a master controller on UAV410 or another suitable circuit. In other embodiments, the spinning electrodes 427 may be simple constant velocity motors. In certain embodiments (e.g., where the scanning module 450 continues to spin), the scanning module 450 along with the motion mechanism 426 may be weight balanced relative to the spin axis 402.

In response to a tilt angle input, the tilt motor 428 can be operable to rotate the scanning LIDAR module 450 about an additional axis 404 that is transverse to the axis of rotation 402. In some examples, the additional axis 404 is perpendicular to the spinning axis 402. Further, an orientation sensor 412 may be carried by the body 411. Examples of orientation sensors 412 may include IMUs, which may include any combination of gyroscopes, accelerometers, rotary encoders, hall effect sensors, or sensors suitable for timely and accurate detection of the pitch angle of the body 411. In accordance with various embodiments of the present technology, a controller on UAV410 (e.g., main controller 142 shown in fig. 1A) may be configured to receive an orientation signal from orientation sensor 412 and determine a tilt value for a tilt angle input of tilt motor 428 based at least in part on the orientation signal. The current attitude (or pitch angle) 570 of the aircraft 410 may be obtained by an orientation sensor 412 mounted on the UAV 410. The controller may be configured to compensate for the pitch angle 570 of the body 411 when the body 411 is not level, for example, by directing the tilt motor 428 to cause the scanning platform 453 to become level. Thus, during operation of UAV410, the controller may obtain pitch angle 570 and use this information to control tilt motor 428 to compensate for the pitch angle. Accordingly, the direction of the LIDAR laser beam emitted by the LIDAR module 450 may always be aligned with the direction of flight of the aircraft 410 in order to detect the obstacle 360. In this way, the motion mechanism 426 and scanning LIDAR module 450 are able to detect obstacles even when the body 411 is tilted.

It is noted that the motion mechanism 426 may cause the scan plane of the single-line LIDAR module 450 to change during operation, and more specifically, to become conical rather than flat. However, since the scanning platform 452c becomes horizontal at least once per 360 degree rotation of the scanning LIDAR module 450, the results typically do not adversely affect the obstacle detection and collision avoidance processes. In other words, it is generally sufficient for the scanning LIDAR module 450 to detect an obstacle 360 in the direction of flight, as long as the tilt angle is adjusted by the controller so that the scanning LIDAR module 450 is level (or aligned with the direction of aircraft motion) at least once per revolution as the scanning module 450 spins.

Fig. 6A-6C illustrate several systems in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. As shown in fig. 6A, the system may include a motion mechanism 626A having a dual-axis configuration, which includes an intermediate platform 652a rotated by a rotation device 627 a. The tilting device 628a is carried by the intermediate platform 652a to tilt the scanning platform 653 a. That is, the autorotation 627a is configured to rotate the scanning element (e.g., LIDAR module 450) via the intermediate stage 652a, where the autorotation 627a carries the tilting device 628 a.

Fig. 6B shows another embodiment including a motion mechanism 626B having a dual-axis configuration. The corresponding intermediate platform 652b is simplified to have a rod-like shape/configuration. The intermediate platform 652b is rotated by the corresponding rotation means 627 b. The respective tilting devices 628b are carried by the intermediate platform 652b and are arranged to tilt the respective scanning platform 653 b.

Fig. 6C illustrates a corresponding motion mechanism 626C configured in accordance with another embodiment of the present technology. The moving mechanism 626c is also a biaxial moving mechanism; however, in this embodiment it is a tilting device 628c carrying a corresponding rotation device 627 c. In particular, tilting device 628c may tilt intermediate platform 653c, intermediate platform 653c in turn carrying rotation device 627 c. Rotation 627c carried by intermediate platform 653c rotates corresponding scanning platform 652 c. That is, the tilting device 627c is configured to tilt the scanning element (e.g., LIDAR module 450) via the intermediate platform 653 c.

Fig. 7 illustrates additional functions that embodiments of the present technology may perform. In particular, embodiments of the present technology may implement 3D scanning using single line LIDAR, utilizing the multi-axis motion mechanisms described herein. In particular, when the aircraft 410 is stationary (e.g., hovering in flight or on the ground), the electro-optical scanning platform may be tilted (e.g., by tilt motor 428) to target any angle to enable 3D scanning of terrain 765 and obstacle distance detection at various heights within the range of the tilting device.

For example, after UAV410 is directed to be horizontal, a controller on UAV410 may first rotate the swivel 427 of motion mechanism 426 a single-line LIDAR 360 degrees while the tilting device 428 is at a first inclination angle, thereby performing a first scan 755 a. The controller on UAV410 may then cause the rotation device 427 to rotate the single-line scanning element (e.g., scanning module 450) 360 degrees while the tilting device 428 is at a different tilt angle, thereby performing subsequent scans (e.g., scans 755b and 755c) located at different heights. In this way, a 3D depth map (e.g., as shown by the outline of terrain 765 in fig. 7) can be rendered by gradually changing the vertical scan direction. With the motion mechanisms described herein, a single-line LIDAR scanner may be configured to perform ground measurements, obstacle detection, and the like.

In some embodiments, the detected terrain information may be used in combination with other data generated by sensors on the UAV (e.g., other aircraft orientation information), and the controller may maneuver the UAV in response to terrain or obstacles detected by the scanner to enable independent positioning and autonomous flight.

3. Summary of the invention

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the technology have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the technology. In representative embodiments, the LIDAR device may have configurations other than those specifically shown and described herein, including other semiconductor structures. The optical devices described herein may have other configurations in other embodiments that may also produce the desired beam shapes and characteristics described herein. While representative embodiments are described in the context of small and medium sized UAVs, aspects of the techniques described herein may be applied to other UAVs and/or other aircraft in other embodiments.

Certain aspects of the present technology described in the context of particular embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. For example, aspects of the optical structures described in the context of fig. 6 and 7 may be applied to embodiments other than those specifically illustrated in the figures. Moreover, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit advantages that fall within the scope of the technology. Accordingly, the present disclosure and related techniques may encompass other embodiments not explicitly shown or described herein.

To the extent any material incorporated by reference conflicts with the present disclosure, the present disclosure controls.

At least a portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the patent and trademark office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.